GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Annis Stubbs, executive director of Teach for America's Detroit office, said their teachers work alongside veteran instructors to improve achievement in low-performing schools and that's what can occur in Grand Rapids schools.

"We are an additional source of talent, not a silver bullet, another strategy for schools that has been proven to be effective in educating kids," said Stubbs, about a potential partnership referenced in Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal's proposed district restructuring plan.

Language that angered Union High School teachers, who questioned the qualifications, experience and effectiveness of Teach for America, that could possibly be replacing some of them. School board members met with Stubbs Monday, and at a work session later some members said they wanted the reference to Teach for America removed from the plan.

Teach for America is a national corps of recent college graduates and professionals who commit to teach for a minimum of two years in urban and rural communities. This year the organization has 10,000 corps members teaching in more than 250 school districts in 36 states and the District of Columbia, including 300 teachers working in nearly 70 schools in the Detroit area.

"If we weren't doing this right, if we weren't effective, districts would have said good-bye," said Stubbs, who said they are in Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans and other districts with achievement challenges, some for more than 20 years.

"We specialize in low-performing schools in urban and rural areas. Our teachers take the same state tests as required by all teachers."

She is calling for the Turnaround Model for Union, which requires replacing 50 percent of the staff. The schools are Priority Schools, among the state's lowest-performing 5 percent.

Stubbs said their teachers are certified, receiving an interim certification from the state and considered highly qualified. She said to move to the provisional level, teachers must take coursework at the University of Michigan or Oakland University.

If Grand Rapids becomes a partner, she said they would look to establish a relationship with Grand Valley State University as well. She said her teachers would interview for the job just like they did for Detroit schools

Stubbs said the discussion of bringing in their teachers should not be divisive because they share the same goals as the teachers union - to help improve student achievement. She said 40 percent of their staff are people of color and more than 20 percent are from disadvantaged backgrounds and are not unfamiliar with the challenges facing high-poverty, high-needs kids.

Paul Helder, head of the Grand Rapids teachers union, has said the TFA teachers' limited training, experience in classrooms and knowledge of child development and psychology are legitimate concerns.

TFA officials disagree: "Our teachers are trained in classrooms on the South Side of Chicago, working with master teachers, who constantly give them feedback," said Stubbs about the classroom experience teachers receive as part of a summer program.

But Helder said a "crash course" of training is no substitute for an experienced teacher.

Stubbs said the group was met with similar opposition from Detroit teachers but their track-record of results in the city and elsewhere is clear.

Teach for America has been in Detroit since 2010.

Grand Rapids school board members on Monday referenced the hefty price tag of $40,000 per teacher for training and other services to partner with the group, but Stubbs said that shouldn't be a barrier because she would look to find the money for the district.